Sacrifice
by hyacinthian
Summary: Leo writes Piper a letter to allow her freedom since she has been seeing someone else. Piper is wracked with sorrow. Are they meant to be? Can Patty and Penny save the marriage? PL.


**_~Sacrifice~_**

A/N: I have a problem with S5 Piper and Leo. After marriage counseling and all that, Piper's dating somebody else? I was mad, so this was borne of anger. What happened to that happy couple in S3? I don't know, but here's a little fic to make everything semi-right again. Expect a little drama. This is me, what do you expect? ;-)

Disclaimer: I don't own Charmed, Piper, or Leo. If I did, the things that happened would not have. No copyright infringement intended.

Leo looked at Piper, unshed tears forming behind his eyes. "Watch Wyatt," she instructed, closing the front door to gallivant with her _date_, Greg. They were still married! Most importantly, he still loved her. Why did things have to work out that way? He thought they were meant to be. He _knew_ they were meant to be. Was this another test? Was this another obstacle they had to overcome? They had been trying for so long to have a child. Once she gave birth, they were drifting apart. Fate, it seemed, was not without a sense of irony. He chuckled mirthlessly, knowing that one day, they would be divorced and unhappy. He wouldn't even have to wait for that day to come. It was already upon them. He sighed unhappily as he collapsed into a chair to watch his darling son.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Patty, this isn't right," Penny said, glancing at her. "They should be happy. We did not and _they_ did not struggle so hard for fate to intervene like this."

"Mother, maybe it was not meant to be."

"How can you say that? She is your daughter, for God's sake! Do you remember that catastrophe of a wedding? They still managed to get married. Then, there was all that trouble. The _single_ time when they _should_ be happy, they're not. Well, he's not, at least. She's out on a date."

"He's an Elder now. There were other factors in this."

"Just because he's an Elder, it does not mean that he should neglect his wife and family. Nor does it mean that she should be off searching for another husband."

"Mother, you are being way too dramatic."  


"I think it's time for some _divine_ intervention, Patty." Patricia Halliwell sighed, but Penny noticed a smile on her face as she did so. "You want them together and happy just as much as I do. Admit it."  


"Fine. I do. It's not right for him to mope around like this," she paused. "Wait. Mother, what is he doing?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Leo sat there, with a book in his lap, a pen in his hand, and paper on the book. He was going to do this whether he wanted to or not. Ignoring the wrenching feeling in his heart and the tears that were spilling onto his cheeks, he began to write.

"My darling Piper,

I have come to terms with what I feel. As much as I believe that we were, and are, meant to be, the Fates, obviously, do not agree with my opinion and have begun to separate us. We were so happy, you and I, not that long ago. It seems like eons now. You are off with another man, Greg, and as much as I fought for you from the first one, Dan, I am going to let you live your life. It is obvious that I can no longer be your husband and am no longer your soulmate or the one you love. I am leaving you in peace with some visits to Wyatt and to check on the Charmed Ones' state. I truly believe we were meant to be, Piper, but as you obviously do not, I am giving up this fight and allowing you freedom.

Love always and forever,

Leo"

With a tear in his eye, he removed his gold wedding band and placed it in an envelope with the letter and placed it on Piper's bed. Lying on their bed, he breathed in the last of her scent and orbed up into the heavens, where he would be forgotten and she would be reborn.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Piper stood with Greg on the porch. He grinned. "Did you have fun tonight?" he asked. She smiled serenely and nodded. He leaned in for a goodnight kiss before bidding her goodnight. She opened the front door and headed for her bedroom to change out of her outfit. As she was, however, she noticed an envelope on her pillow. She reached for it and opened it. She pulled the sheet of notebook paper out, where scrawled in Leo's handwriting, were the most painful words she had ever read. Had she been so cold to him? Had she really neglected him? _You brought this on yourself, Piper. Don't go and blame him._ She placed the letter on her dresser and felt the envelope weigh heavier than an empty envelope would. She reached inside and pulled out his wedding ring. She placed that, shakily, on her dresser before scampering to her bed and sobbing, breathing in the last of his scent.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Patty looked to Penny. "You're right, Mother, we _have_ to do something."

Penny glanced to Patty and clutched her daughter's hand, gazing down upon the spell that was written on a sheet of paper. "Ready?"

"As ready as I'll ever be."

Then, in unison, they began to chant. "Wiccans of all times, please hear

The lost and lonely's cries

Let their bodies and souls travel through space, time, and air

To relive each and every shared past life

By our words, so mote it be."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Piper was watching Wyatt, her eyes red from crying. She felt herself growing lighter and lighter and looked down. Where was she? She was no longer in the Manor. She was in the 1700s. She gasped with shock and looked in the mirror at herself. Her chestnut locks were done up in a beautiful manner, and the shorter locks were curled. She was dressed in a plush, green velvet gown with thick straps that extended past her feet. She lifted her skirt and began to walk. "Piper!" cried a girl who looked remarkably like Phoebe.

"Phoebe?"

"Have you lost your brains, child? It is I, Penny, your sister."

"What year is it?"

"1745. Now go downstairs! You-know-who is waiting for you," she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief.

~~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Leo looked at himself. He was dressed in formal wear. A man who looked like Darryl patted him on the back. "I heard from the townfolk that you are trying to woo over Piper Halliwell. Good luck. Men have tried and all have failed."

"Including you?"

"Not including I, my friend. Ah, there is Andrew, the constable. I'm off to chat. Enjoy yourself, eh?"

He watched as Piper descended down the spiral staircase, looking like an angel. She stopped and curtsied. "Leo, is that you?" she whispered.

"Piper?"

"Yes."

Someone accidentally careened into Piper, sending her into his arms. A lovely waltz started up by the orchestra and they began to dance.

"What happened? Where are we?" he asked.

"Don't ask me. I was watching Wyatt."

"Why are we here?"

"I don't know."

"Excuse me, kind sir. May I ask for your lady's hand?"

"No, kind sir. We are dancing and enjoying tonight's festivities. Find another fair maiden and ask for her hand for this one has taken siege of my heart."

Piper gaped at him, but quickly hid it. "How did you know what to say?"

"Piper, I think this is a past life. So, be quiet and the words will come to you. We've lived this before."

"Kind sir, you have been trying to woo me and although many others have failed, I believe you have succeeded. My father has not chosen a reputable husband for me yet, however, I believe that since your lineage derives from the Darcy-Wyatts, you shall be welcomed as a son-in-law. Never the less, this will never the mind have you decline to ask my hand in marriage." Piper stopped. "Whoa. Where the hell did that come from?"

"I care not what your father thinks, but I ask for your hand all the same." His hand slipped into his coat pocket and removed a ring, a precious gemstone imbedded in the center. He slid it onto her left ring finger. "Let us be together now and for all eternity."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Piper now found herself in Nazi Germany, the swastika and Nazi symbols were everywhere she looked. Was this World War II? Was this Leo's time? Leo rushed up to her.

"Where are we?"

"Nazi Germany."

"Who are you?"

"I take it I'm a Nazi."

"And what am I?"

"I take it you're a…German girl."

"Leo, wann kommen Sie zurück?" Piper said, quickly. Her eyes widened. "Leo! Leo! What did I just say?"

"Ich weiß nicht." He paused. "I don't know what I said either."

"When will you return?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe that's what we said?"

"It's possible."

A man walked up to Leo and patted his shoulder. He said something in German and led Leo away. He was leading Leo to the battlefield, to his inevitable death. Piper ran up and kissed him passionately.

"Lassen Sie mich nicht," she said, kissing him again.

"Nie."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Piper awoke again. "This is getting old." She groaned, a throbbing headache was making its presence known. She sat up. "Leo?"

"What's the matter, honey?" he asked, sweetly.

"Do you—Do you remember when you…when you died?"

"In World War II?"

"No. In my arms, in the attic from Alec's arrow? Do you remember Daisy?"

"Yes. I remember. This feels like that. What happened to us, Leo?"

"Time progresses more than we can ever adjust ourselves to fit."

"I love you, you know."

"I love you too, Piper."

"How can we be together if you're an Elder? You'll never be here."

"I'll ask them if I can be a whitelighter again. You know, get demoted." He smiled and she laid her head in his lap. He stroked her hair gently.

"Can you do that?"

"If I can't, I'll clip my wings, Piper."

"Why would you sacrifice that for me?"

"What?"

"Your immortality."

"I would rather be with you for one lifetime than to spend a thousand of them watching you with someone else."

She smiled. "Wyatt, you, and me can be a happy family now. We can finally have the family we wanted. I mean, Phoebe's moving to Hong Kong, Paige is moving into Richard's house. We can finally live in the Manor as a regular family."

He grinned and kissed her. "Want to try for Melinda?"

"Melinda?"

"You know, our child from the future." She giggled. "You never stop."

"I've missed you."

"I meant joking," she said, giggling, as he pinned her down and swathed her with his warm kisses and the warmth emanating from his heart.

~*~*~*~*~*~*

"You know what, mother?"

"Hm?"

"It's really rewarding to see this."

"Yes, but I think we should give them some privacy, don't you think? After all, they are going to try for Melinda."

A/N: That's it. Did it suck? It consisted mainly of dialogue, but give me some feedback. Love on ya!


End file.
